Experimental
design
Diabetes was induced in
Wistar male rats, with
i.v. streptozotocin injections
(55 mg/kg). Animals were
orally treated with 80
mg LZ/kg/day microencapsulated
for 7 weeks, admixing
each dose to the daily
powdered food. A group
of untreated diabetic
rats and a group of normoglycaemic
rats were used as controls.
Glycaemic levels and body
weights were weekly monitored.
Analysis on
sera and urine samples
collected after 3, 5 and
7 weeks from the beginning
of treatment:
Urinary albumin concentration
(microalbuminuria), in
24-hrs urine output (Rat
albumin ELISA test (Vinci
Biochem, Firenze, Italy).
Analysis on kidneys
harvested after the 7
weeks from the beginning
of treatment:
RAGE expression (RT-PCR);
Mean glomerular tuft area
(glomerular morphometry)
and kidney-to-body weight
ratio (glomerular and
renal hypertrophy)
Statistical analysis:
Student-Newman-Keuls.
Data are expressed as
mean±SD. Groups
with the same letter are
statistically different.
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CONCLUSIONS
In an experimental diabetic
model, the treatment with lysozyme
loaded-microspheres significantly
prevented the development of
some of the clinical marks of
the first stage of diabetic
nephropathy.
The effect induced by LZ seems
to be correlated to a reduced
RAGE expression.
Mean
glomerular tuft area (µm2)
was determined from the mean
glomerular cross-sectional tuft
surface using an image analysis
technique, with a light microscope
equipped with a camera by means
of specifically developed software.
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